U.S. patent application number 14/209100 was filed with the patent office on 2015-09-17 for article of footwear for athletic and recreational activities.
This patent application is currently assigned to NIKE, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is NIKE, Inc.. Invention is credited to Tobie D. Hatfield, Bryant Russell Klug, Elizabeth Langvin, Matthew C. Palmer, Nadia M. Panian, Kevin J. Rucier, Thomas J. Rushbrook, Nathan G. Schultze, Aaron K. Seid.
Application Number | 20150257475 14/209100 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54067512 |
Filed Date | 2015-09-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150257475 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Langvin; Elizabeth ; et
al. |
September 17, 2015 |
Article of Footwear For Athletic And Recreational Activities
Abstract
An article of footwear in which certain regions of the upper may
be slippery, such that it is more difficult for a person to firmly
grasp the article of footwear. The eyestays in the article of
footwear are biased towards the lateral side of the footwear. The
article of footwear also has an outer sole with ridges at, for
example, the back of the heel, the ball-of-the foot regions on the
lateral and medial sides, respectively, of the article of footwear,
and at the toe region. The ridges are angle downward, such that the
wearer of the footwear may have increased traction by digging the
ridges into the ground or into a playing surface.
Inventors: |
Langvin; Elizabeth;
(Sherwood, OR) ; Klug; Bryant Russell; (Beaverton,
OR) ; Panian; Nadia M.; (Beaverton, OR) ;
Schultze; Nathan G.; (Portland, OR) ; Palmer; Matthew
C.; (Portland, OR) ; Rucier; Kevin J.;
(Portland, OR) ; Hatfield; Tobie D.; (Lake Oswego,
OR) ; Rushbrook; Thomas J.; (Portland, OR) ;
Seid; Aaron K.; (Portland, OR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
NIKE, Inc. |
Beaverton |
OR |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
NIKE, Inc.
Beaverton
OR
|
Family ID: |
54067512 |
Appl. No.: |
14/209100 |
Filed: |
March 13, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
36/84 ; 36/114;
36/83 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A43B 23/021 20130101;
A43B 13/223 20130101; A43B 23/0235 20130101; A43B 5/00 20130101;
A43B 23/0215 20130101; A43B 13/141 20130101; A43B 13/38 20130101;
A43B 23/0205 20130101; A43B 7/20 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A43B 5/00 20060101
A43B005/00 |
Claims
1. An article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole attached
to the upper, wherein the upper comprises: a first portion made of
a first material with a first surface that has a first coefficient
of friction; a second portion made of a second material with a
second surface that has a second coefficient of friction, wherein
the second coefficient of friction is substantially greater than
the first coefficient of friction; an eyestay region comprising a
plurality of eyelets, wherein the eyestay region is substantially
biased towards a lateral side of the article of footwear; and
wherein the sole comprises: a textile material with a plurality of
pads attached to the textile material, wherein the pads comprise
downwardly-angled ridges at their outer edges.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the plurality of
pads comprises a pad under a big toe region of the article of
footwear and a pad under the heel of the article of footwear.
3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the sole comprises a
forefoot region and wherein the plurality of pads comprises at
least one pad in the forefoot region of the sole.
4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the textile material
is a spacer mesh material.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the second material
is a polymer overlay over the first material.
6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the second material
is an elastomer.
7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein at least one of the
pads is made of a polyurethane foam.
8. The article of footwear of claim 1, the upper further comprising
a third portion with a third surface that has a third coefficient
of friction that is lower than the coefficient of friction of the
second material.
9. An article of footwear comprising: a sole comprising a textile
layer and a plurality of elastomeric pads; an upper comprising a
first material and a second material, wherein the upper is attached
to the sole; wherein the second material is disposed at a periphery
of the upper and wherein the second material is tacky compared to
the first material; wherein at least one of the plurality of
elastomeric pads comprises ridges that are angled downwards; and
wherein at least one of the plurality of elastomeric pads comprises
an aperture for allowing moisture generated within the article of
footwear to escape through the textile layer.
10. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the sole comprises
a heel region and a toe region, and wherein the plurality of
elastomeric pads includes an elastomeric pad in the heel region of
the sole and an elastomeric pad in the toe region of the sole.
11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the elastomeric
pad in the heel region comprises a heel aperture and the
elastomeric pad in the toe region comprises a toe aperture.
12. The article of footwear of claim 11, wherein the sole comprises
a forefoot region, and wherein the forefoot region further
comprises at least one elastomeric pad with ridges angled downwards
in the forefoot region of the sole.
13. The article of footwear of claim 9, wherein the upper comprises
an ankle opening and an eyestay region extending down from the
ankle opening towards the lateral side of the upper.
14. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the textile layer
comprises spacer mesh material.
15. A wrestling shoe comprising: an upper comprised of a first
material and a second material, the second material being tacky
compared to the first material; a sole comprised of a textile
strobel and a toe pad in a big toe region of the sole and the sole
comprised of a heel pad in a heel region of the sole; wherein the
coefficient of friction of the second material is greater by at
least an order of magnitude than the coefficient of friction of the
first material; wherein the upper also comprises an eyestay region
biased towards the lateral side of the upper; and wherein the toe
pad comprises a plurality of downwardly-angled ridges and the heel
pad comprises a plurality of downwardly-angled ridges.
16. The wrestling shoe of claim 15, wherein the toe pad comprises a
toe pad aperture and the heel pad comprises a heel pad
aperture.
17. The wrestling shoe of claim 16, wherein the textile strobel is
a spacer mesh strobel.
18. The wrestling shoe of claim 15, wherein the toe pad is an
elastomeric toe pad and the heel pad is an elastomeric heel
pad.
19. The wrestling shoe of claim 15, wherein the first material is
one of a woven material and a knitted material.
20. The wrestling shoe of claim 15, wherein the plurality of
downwardly-angled ridges in the toe pad and the plurality of
downwardly-angled ridges in the heel pad are configured to dig into
a wrestling mat when pushed into the wrestling mat from a first
direction and to slide across the wrestling mat when dragged in a
second direction.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to commonly owned U.S. Pat. No.
______, now U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, filed on
______, and entitled "Article of Footwear for Athletic and
Recreational Activities with Bootie" (Attorney Docket Number
51-3823), which application is hereby incorporated by reference in
its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] The present embodiments relate generally to articles of
footwear that may be used for contact sports such as wrestling.
[0003] Articles of footwear can generally be described as having
two primary elements, an upper for enclosing the wearer's foot, and
a sole structure attached to the upper. The upper generally extends
over the toe and instep areas of the foot, along the medial and
lateral sides of the foot and around the back of the heel. The sole
structure may include an insole, a midsole, and an outsole. The
insole is in close contact with the wearer's foot or sock, and
provides a comfortable feel to the sole of the wearer's foot. The
midsole generally attenuates impact or other stresses due to ground
forces as the wearer is walking, running, jumping, or engaging in
other activities. The outsole generally carries a tread pattern to
ensure a firm contact with the ground or playing surface. For some
activities, the outsole may also use cleats, spikes or other
protrusions to engage the ground or playing surface and thus
provide additional traction.
SUMMARY
[0004] This summary is intended to provide an overview of the
subject matter of this patent, and is not intended to identify
essential elements or key elements of the subject matter, nor is it
intended to be used to determine the scope of the claimed
embodiments. The proper scope of this patent may be ascertained
from the claims set forth below in view of the detailed description
below and the drawings.
[0005] In one aspect, an article of footwear has an upper and a
sole attached to the upper, where the upper further includes a
first portion made of a first material with a first surface that
has a first coefficient of friction and a second portion made of a
second material with a second surface that has a second coefficient
of friction, where the second coefficient of friction is
substantially greater than the first coefficient of friction. The
upper also includes an eyestay region comprising a plurality of
eyelets, where the eyestay region is substantially biased towards a
lateral side of the article of footwear. The sole includes a
textile material with a plurality of pads attached to the textile
material, where the pads comprise downwardly-angled ridges at their
outer edges.
[0006] In another aspect, an article of footwear includes a sole
with a textile layer and a plurality of elastomeric pads and an
upper made of a first material and a second material. The upper is
attached to the sole. The second material is disposed at the
periphery of the upper and is tacky compared to the first material.
At least one of the plurality of elastomeric pads comprises ridges
that are angled downwards. At least one of the plurality of
elastomeric pads includes an aperture for allowing moisture
generated within the article of footwear to escape through the
textile layer.
[0007] In another aspect, a wrestling shoe includes an upper made
of a first material and a second material, the second material
being tacky compared to the first material. The shoe includes a
sole with of a textile strobel and a toe pad in a big toe region of
the sole. The sole has of a heel pad in a heel region of the sole.
The coefficient of friction of the second material is greater by at
least an order of magnitude compared to the coefficient of friction
of the first material. The upper also comprises an eyestay region
biased towards the lateral side of the upper. The toe pad has a
plurality of downwardly-angled ridges and the heel pad has a
plurality of downwardly-angled ridges.
[0008] Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the
embodiments will be, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary
skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and
detailed description. It is intended that all such additional
systems, methods, features and advantages be included within this
description and this summary, be within the scope of the
embodiments, and be protected by the following claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] The embodiments can be better understood with reference to
the following drawings and description. The components in the
figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed
upon illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in
the figures, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts
throughout the different views.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective top side view of an
embodiment of an article of footwear.
[0011] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the lateral side of the
embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the medial side of the
embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective front top view of the
embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 5 is a schematic top view of the embodiment of FIG.
1.
[0015] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of the embodiment of
FIG. 1, showing cross-sections of the edges of the toe region and
the forefoot region.
[0016] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-section of the edge of the
forefoot on the medial side of the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the heel region of
the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 9 is a cross-section of the edge of the heel taken at
9-9 in FIG. 8.
[0019] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the heel of the
embodiment of FIG. 1 digging into a playing surface.
[0020] FIG. 11 is a schematic view of an outsole that may be used
with the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0021] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of another outsole that may be
used with the embodiment of FIG. 1.
[0022] FIG. 13 is a schematic perspective top side view of another
embodiment of an article of footwear.
[0023] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a perspective lateral side
view of another embodiment of an article of footwear.
[0024] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a medial side view of the
embodiment shown in FIG. 14.
[0025] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a wrestler wearing the
embodiment shown in FIG. 1 on each of his feet.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] For clarity, the detailed descriptions herein describe
certain exemplary embodiments, but the disclosure in this
application may be applied to any article of footwear comprising
certain of the features described herein and recited in the claims.
In particular, although the following detailed description
describes exemplary embodiments in the form of wrestling shoes, it
should be understood that the other embodiments may take the form
of other articles of athletic or recreational footwear.
[0027] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary
embodiment of an article of footwear 100, also referred to simply
as article 100. Referring to FIG. 1, article 100 may include an
upper 101 and a sole 151. Generally, upper 101 may be any type of
upper. In particular, upper 101 may have any design, shape, size
and/or color. For example, in some embodiments, upper 101 could be
a high top upper that is shaped to provide high support on an
ankle. In other embodiments, upper 101 could be a low top upper. In
the exemplary embodiment of a wrestling shoe, upper 101 could be a
mid-top upper with some portions extending near or around the
ankle.
[0028] In some embodiments, upper 101 includes an ankle opening 109
that provides entry for the foot into an interior cavity of upper
101. In some embodiments, upper 101 may include a tongue 117 that
provides cushioning and support across the instep of the foot.
[0029] In some embodiments, sole 151 may be configured to provide
traction for article 100. In addition to providing traction, sole
151 may attenuate ground reaction forces when compressed between
the foot and the ground during walking, running or other ambulatory
activities. The configuration of sole 151 may vary significantly in
different embodiments to include a variety of conventional or
non-conventional structures. In some cases, the configuration of
sole 151 can be configured according to one or more types of ground
surfaces on which sole 151 may be used. Examples of ground surfaces
include, but are not limited to, a wrestling mat, a playing
surface, natural turf, synthetic turf, dirt, as well as other
surfaces.
[0030] Sole 151 is secured to upper 101 and extends between the
foot and the ground when article 100 is worn. In different
embodiments, sole 151 may include different components. For
example, sole 151 may include an outsole, a midsole, and/or an
insole. In some embodiments, one or more of these components may be
optional.
[0031] Each of upper 101 and sole 151 may be characterized as
having various different regions. It will be understood that the
following regions are only intended for purposes of description and
are not intended to demarcate precise regions of article 100. As
shown in FIG. 1, upper 101 has a toe region 102, a forefoot region
103, a midfoot region 104 and a heel region 105. Upper 101 also has
an eyestay region 108. Similarly, sole 151 has a toe region 152, a
forefoot region 153 and a heel region 155.
[0032] Article 100 may be further associated with a lateral side
106 and a medial side 107. In particular, lateral side 106 and
medial side 107 may be opposing sides of article 100. It will be
understood that lateral side 106 and medial side 107 are intended
to represent generally two sides of article 100, rather than
precisely demarcating article 100 into two halves.
[0033] Different embodiments of article 100 can include various
fastening provisions, including, but not limited to laces, cables,
straps, buttons and zippers as well as other provisions known in
the art for fastening articles. In the embodiment depicted in FIG.
1, eyestay region 108 of upper 101 may include various eyelets or
other openings to receive portions of laces 121. For example, in
some embodiments, eyestay region 108 may further include plurality
of eyelets 123, also referred to simply as eyelets 123 hereafter,
that receive portions of lace 121.
[0034] In some embodiments, article 100 may include one or more
reinforcing strips 270. As seen in FIG. 1, reinforcing strips 270
connect plurality of eyelets 123 to a lower periphery 129 of upper
101. Reinforcing strips 270 may further include lateral reinforcing
strips 271 and medial reinforcing strips 272. As seen by viewing
FIGS. 1-3, lateral reinforcing strips 271 may be clearly visible on
lateral side 106 of upper 101. In contrast, in at least some
embodiments, medial reinforcing strips 272 may be covered over by
additional layers of upper 101, and therefore may not be visible on
medial side 107 of upper 101, or may only be partially visible on
medial side 107.
[0035] In some embodiments, reinforcing strips 270 may be comprised
of materials that are substantially more rigid than materials
comprising the remainder of upper 101. In particular, in at least
some embodiments, reinforcing strips 270 may comprise materials
that resist longitudinal stretching (i.e., lengthwise stretching).
This allows reinforcing strips 270 to apply tension directly
between eyestay region 108 and lower periphery 129 of upper 101,
without substantial stretching.
[0036] At least some embodiments may also include one or more
straps to further facilitate fastening article 100 to a foot. In
the embodiment of FIG. 1, article 100 includes ankle straps 122. In
some embodiments, ankle straps 122 wrap around ankle opening 109 to
provide support to the wearer's ankle. In some embodiments, ankle
straps 122 may be attached to the back of the heel of the article
of footwear. In some cases, ankle strap 122 may be attached to the
back of heel region 105 of upper 101. In other cases, ankle straps
122 may be attached to the back of heel region 155 of sole 151. In
still other cases, ankle straps 122 may be attached to the back
regions of both upper 101 and sole 151. As shown in FIG. 1, lace
121, after being threaded through eyelets 123 in eyestay region
108, may then be threaded through eyelets 169 in the ends 159 of
ankle straps 122. This facilitates the fastening of ankle portion
119 of upper 101 to the wrestler's ankle.
[0037] Embodiments can include provisions to make it more difficult
for an opponent or other person to grasp an article of footwear
during a competition, such as a wrestling match. In some
embodiments, an article of footwear could include provisions to
make it more difficult for an opponent to grasp discrete features
of the article, such as fasteners and edges associated with the
eyestays of the article. Still other embodiments could incorporate
provisions to make at least some portions of the article more
slippery, such as portions of the upper.
[0038] FIGS. 2-5 are different views that illustrate the
disposition of eyestay region 108 on article of footwear 100.
Specifically, FIG. 2 illustrates a lateral side view of an
embodiment of article of footwear 100, FIG. 3 illustrates a medial
side view of the embodiment of article 100, FIG. 4 illustrates a
top down isometric view of the embodiment of article 100, and FIG.
5 is a schematic top view of the embodiment of article 100.
[0039] Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, in some embodiments, eyestay
region 108 may be biased towards one side of article 100. In some
embodiments, eyestay region 108 may be biased towards a medial side
of upper 101. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-5, eyestay
region 108 may be biased towards lateral side 106 of upper 101.
Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, eyestay region 108
extends from the front of ankle opening 109 down towards lateral
side 106 of forefoot region 103. Due to this bias of eyestay region
108 away from the center of upper 101, a forward end portion 170 of
eyestay region 108 may be disposed further from a central
longitudinal axis 175 (shown in FIG. 1) of article 100 than a
rearward end portion 172 of eyestay region 108. As clearly shown by
comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, a majority of eyestay region 108 is
associated with lateral side 106, while a much smaller portion of
eyestay region 108 is associated with medial side 107. In at least
some embodiments, no portions of eyestay region 108 may be
associated with medial side 107.
[0040] As clearly indicated in FIG. 1, eyestay region 108 may form
an angle 179 with respect to central longitudinal axis 175. In
different embodiments, the value of angle 179 could vary in a range
between 0 degrees (i.e., no biasing) to 45 degrees, for example. In
still other embodiments, angle 179 could be greater than 45
degrees. It is contemplated that some embodiments may utilize a
configuration where eyestay region 108 forms an angle approximately
in the range between 5 degrees and 30 degrees.
[0041] While some embodiments may include an eyestay region that
may be approximately straight and biased towards lateral side 106,
other embodiments could include eyestay regions that are curved or
otherwise non-linear in their configuration. In some embodiments,
different portions of the eyestay region could vary in their
angular orientation relative to, for example, central longitudinal
axis 175.
[0042] Biasing the eyestay region to the lateral side may make it
more difficult for an opponent to obtain a firm grasp on, for
example, a wrestler's shoe. It is more difficult for an opposing
wrestler to obtain a firm grasp on a shoe with a biased eyestay
region because the opponent's hand has to reach around the apex of
the shoe and almost down to the lateral edge of the shoe so that
his fingers can grasp the opposite side of the eyestay region.
[0043] As best illustrated in FIGS. 2-5, some embodiments may
incorporate different portions having different material properties
or characteristics. For purposes of characterizing these material
differences, upper 101 may be characterized as being comprised of
different regions or portions. For example, in some embodiments,
upper 101 includes a first portion 110 and a second portion 111,
which are shaded in the Figures for purposes of illustration. In an
exemplary embodiment, first portion 110 may extend through toe
region 102 as well as through midfoot region 104 on medial side 107
of upper 101. In the exemplary embodiment, second portion 111 may
extend around a perimeter of forefoot region 103 as well as along
midfoot region 104 on both lateral side 106 and medial side 107. As
best shown in FIGS. 2-3, second portion 111 may be disposed
directly adjacent to portions of sole 151. Also, first portion 110
may be disposed further from sole 151 than second material portion
111.
[0044] In some embodiments, a third portion 230 of upper 101 may be
associated with a top side of forefoot region 103 as well as a
majority of lateral side 106 of upper 101. In some embodiments,
third portion 230 may comprise a base layer of upper 101 such that
first portion 110 and second portion 111 comprise layers disposed
over third portion 230. In such embodiments, first portion 110
and/or second portion 111 could comprise overlays that are joined
to third portion 230 via bonding, welding or other method of
joining layers known in the art. In other embodiments, however,
third portion 230 may only extend through some parts of upper 101
and may not be disposed beneath first portion 110 or second portion
111.
[0045] In some embodiments, each portion of upper 101 may be made
of similar materials. In at least some embodiments, each portion
may be associated with different materials. Referring to FIGS. 2-5,
for example, first portion 110 may have a first surface 251 that is
comprised of a first material. Likewise, second portion 111 may
have a second surface 253 that is comprised of a second material.
Still further, third portion 230 may have a third surface 255 that
is comprised of a third material. In some embodiments, the first
material has a first coefficient of friction, the second material
has a second coefficient of friction, and the third material has a
third coefficient of friction. In one embodiment, the third
coefficient of friction is substantially less than the second
coefficient of friction. For example, the third coefficient of
friction may be less than half of the second coefficient of
friction. In other words, third portion 230 of upper 101 may be
more slippery than second portion 111 of upper 101. Additionally,
in one embodiment, the third coefficient of friction may be roughly
similar to the first coefficient of friction. In other words, third
portion 230 of upper 101 and first portion 110 of upper 101 may be
more slippery than second portion 111 of upper 101. Because both
third portion 230 and first portion 110 are configured as more
slippery than second portion 111, it may therefore be more
difficult for an opponent to firmly grasp the footwear at the
forefoot. In some embodiments, the second coefficient of friction
may be greater than the first coefficient of friction by at least
an order of magnitude. In some embodiments, second material in
portion 111 may have a surface 253 that is tacky and has a high
coefficient of friction against a playing surface, such as, for
example, a wrestling mat.
[0046] In some embodiments, the first material may be the same as
the third material. In still other embodiments, the first material
may be substantially different from the third material. For
example, in at least some embodiments, the coefficient of friction
of the third material in portion 230 of upper 101 may be lower than
the coefficient of friction of the material in first portion 110 of
upper 101. By varying the coefficient of friction of different
materials in different portions, the slip properties of upper 101
can be tuned at individual portions that may differ in the
likelihood of each portion being grasped by an opponent.
[0047] In different embodiments, first portion 110 and third
portion 230 may be comprised of various kinds of upper materials,
including various textile materials, such as woven or non-woven
fabrics, knits, meshes or other materials. For example, first
portion 110 and/or third portion 230 may be made of a spacer mesh
material. This combination of different materials for upper 101 may
provide both resistance to grasping by an opponent (due to the
slippery surfaces of first portion 110 and third portion 230) and
traction at the perimeter of the upper (for example, due to
tackiness of portion 111)
[0048] In some embodiments, the first material of first portion 110
and the second material of second portion 111 may extend throughout
the thickness of upper 101. However, in other embodiments, the
first material of first portion 110 and the second material of
second portion 111 could comprise overlays that are disposed over,
for example, a textile material or other textile layer.
[0049] Embodiments can include provisions to increase traction for
an article. In some embodiments, an article may have sole pads that
are configured to facilitate traction with a surface, such as a
wrestling mat.
[0050] As shown in FIGS. 1-10 certain of the peripheral regions of
sole 151, such as toe region 152, lateral forefoot region 153 and
heel region 155 may have pads that may curve up from the bottom of
the sole to provide surfaces that extend upwardly and outwardly
from the bottom of the sole. The surfaces of these pads may have
ridges that may provide unidirectional traction when that region of
the shoe is pressed down against a wrestling mat or other playing
surface.
[0051] FIG. 6 illustrates a front isometric view of sole 151
including two enlarged cross-sectional views of toe region 152 and
lateral forefoot region 153, which illustrate the geometry of these
regions. In some embodiments, toe region 152 includes a lower
portion 288 and a side portion 289. As seen in FIG. 6, side portion
289 may include ridges 162. Likewise, lateral forefoot region 153
is seen to include ridges 362 on a side portion 290 of sole
151.
[0052] Generally, the geometry of ridges comprising ridges 162 and
ridges 362 may vary. As one example of a possible geometry for
ridges of sole 151, the geometry of a ridge 260 of ridges 162 is
shown in FIG. 6. Ridge 260 may include an upwardly oriented surface
261 along with a downwardly oriented surface 262. Upwardly oriented
surface 261 and downwardly oriented surface 262 may meet at a peak
portion 263 of ridge 260. Here, the term upwardly oriented surface
is intended to include any surface with a normal component that is
oriented at least partially in the upwardly vertical direction,
i.e., in a direction extending from sole 151 towards upper 101.
Likewise, the term downwardly oriented surface is intended to
include any surface with a normal component that is oriented at
least partially in the vertically downwardly direction, i.e., in a
direction opposite of the upward direction. In at least some
embodiments, each of the remaining ridges of sole 151 may be
configured with a similar geometry including an upwardly oriented
surface and a downwardly oriented surface.
[0053] As seen in the enlarged views of FIG. 6, the downwardly
oriented surfaces of ridges 162 and ridges 362 may be configured to
engage a playing surface, such as a wrestling mat, in order to
provide enhanced traction. In at least some embodiments, moreover,
the peak portions of each of ridges 162 and ridges 362 may
partially dig into a mat, in order to increase traction with the
mat.
[0054] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a cross section of a pad
350 in forefoot region 153 of sole 150, taken at 7-7 in FIG. 3. As
seen in FIG. 7, medial pad 350 in forefoot region 153 includes
ridges 351 that may act to enhance traction on the medial side of
article 100.
[0055] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a perspective view of the
heel of the embodiment of article 100 in FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a
cross-section of the back of heel region 155 of sole 151 taken at
9-9 of FIG. 8. As seen in FIGS. 8 and 9, ridges 356 may be disposed
on the back of heel region 155 of article of footwear 100. Ridges
356 may include downwardly facing surfaces 357 that may be
configured to engaged a playing surface and improve traction for
heel region 155. With these ridges, the wearer can gain increased
traction by digging the heel into a playing surface (such as a
wrestling mat) with the edges of the ridges opposing the motion, or
allow the heel to slide along if the ridges are slanted so as not
to oppose the motion.
[0056] FIG. 10 is a cross-section of heel region 155 of sole 151
contacting a wresting mat 1001. Referring to FIG. 10, such a
configuration may occur when a wrestling is attempting to dig in
with his heel. As seen here, as article 100 tilts back, rear side
portion 157 of heel region 155 contacts surface 1003 of mat 1001.
As seen in FIG. 10, ridges 356 engage surface 1003. For example, a
first ridge 370 of heel region 155 may deform so that an inner side
371 of first ridge 370 contacts surface 1003. Further, in some
cases, a tip 372 of first ridge 370 may also dig slightly into
surface 1003 to further improve traction. As shown in FIG. 10, a
second ridge 376 may also deform and contact surface 1003. Because
the wearer can dig ridges 356 into the playing surface, the wearer
obtains greater leverage when pushing against, for example an
opponent or a heavy obstacle.
[0057] FIG. 11 is a bottom view of an embodiment of an outsole 1100
that could be used with the embodiment of FIG. 1. In some
embodiments, outsole 1100 may generally comprise distinct pad
portions that are continuous with the portions of sole 151 shown in
FIGS. 1-10. For example, a forefoot pad 1102 of outsole 1100 may
comprise the lower side of lateral forefoot region 153 and toe
region 152 of sole 151, which are shown for example in FIG. 1. In
some embodiments, outsole 1100 also includes a heel pad 1006, which
comprises the lower side of heel region 155 of sole 151. Likewise,
outsole 1100 may include a lower portion of medial pad 350 that is
also depicted in, for example, FIG. 3. In some embodiments,
forefoot pad 1102, medial pad 350 and heel pad 1006 may be disposed
over, or otherwise joined with, a base layer 1101 of sole 151.
[0058] Generally, each pad of outsole 1100 may comprise concentric
ridges that encircle a central region. As an example, heel pad 1106
has a plurality of concentric ridges 1121 that form a rough oval
pattern around a central region 1123 at the rear end of outsole
1100. This pattern evolves towards more pointed geometries, with
the most forward of the ridges forming a curvilinear V pattern.
Medial pad 350 also has concentric, generally oval-shaped ridges
1131 that encircle a central region 1133 as shown in FIG. 11.
Forefoot pad 1102 includes a first pattern of concentric ridges
1141 forming a crescent moon pattern around a central region 1143
on the lateral side of the forefoot. Forefoot pad 1102 also
includes a second pattern of concentric ridges 1142 forming ovals
around a central region 1145 under the big toe portion of the sole,
as also shown in FIG. 11. These various ridge patterns may enhance
traction with a playing surface.
[0059] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of an alternative embodiment of an
outsole that may be used with an article of footwear. This figure
shows an outsole 1200 that could be used with the embodiment of
FIG. 1. As with the previous embodiment of outsole 1100, depicted
in FIG. 11, this embodiment includes a base layer 1201 covered with
several pads, including a forefoot pad 1202, a medial pad 1250 and
a heel pad 1206. Each pad may generally comprise ridges in
concentric patterns. For example, forefoot pad 1202 comprises
concentric ridges 1241 that surround forefoot central region 1243.
Forefoot pad 1202 also comprises concentric ridges 1242 that
surround toe central region 1245. Furthermore, medial pad 1250
comprises concentric ridges 1231 that encircle medial central
region 1233. Finally, heel pad 1206 comprises concentric ridges
1223 that encircle heel central region 1225.
[0060] In contrast to the previous embodiment, the embodiment
depicted in FIG. 12 may incorporate one or more apertures. In
particular, in some embodiments, each of forefoot central region
1243, toe central region 1245, medial central region 1233 and heel
central region 1225 may comprise apertures in each corresponding
pad. In this embodiment, therefore, portions of base layer 1201 may
be disposed through these apertures. Moreover, in an exemplary
embodiment, the portions of base layer 1202 that are exposed
through forefoot central region 1243, toe central region 1245,
medial central region 1233 and heel central region 1225 may be
covered with a layer of material. Exemplary materials that could be
used with these regions include, but are not limited to: polymer
materials or other textile materials. The use of apertures within
each pad may allow for increased breathability as air and moisture
from an upper can pass through base layer 1201 of sole 1200 and out
through the apertures.
[0061] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of an
article of footwear 1300, also referred to simply as article 1300.
As seen by comparing FIG. 13 with FIG. 1, some embodiments of
article of footwear 1300 may incorporate some similar features to
article 100 (shown in FIG. 1). However, in some embodiments,
article 1300 may include some additional features, and may lack
some features of article 100. It should be understood that any
features of these two embodiments could be interchanged according
to intended use of the article.
[0062] In an exemplary embodiment, article 1300 includes an upper
1301 and a sole 1351. In some embodiments, upper 1301 may be
configured with two distinct material portions, namely a base
material portion 1320 and a peripheral material portion 1310. The
base material portion has a low coefficient of friction against a
person's hand or fingers. In some embodiments, peripheral material
portion 1310 may also be comprised of a material that has a low
coefficient of friction against a person's hand or fingers.
[0063] Additionally, in some embodiments, article 1300 includes
ankle straps 1322 that pass around ankle opening 1309 within outer
layer 1323 of ankle opening 1309. For purposes of illustration,
ankle straps 1322 are mostly shown in phantom in FIG. 13. This
configuration of ankle straps 1322 makes it somewhat more difficult
for an opponent to obtain a firm grasp around the ankle region of
the footwear.
[0064] Also, in contrast to the eyestay region 108 of article 100
(shown in FIG. 1), article 1300 incorporates an eyestay region 1308
that may be oriented centrally, rather than biased towards a side
of article 1300.
[0065] FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 are schematic diagrams illustrating
another exemplary embodiment of an article of footwear 1400, also
referred to herein as article 1400. In the embodiment of FIG. 14
and FIG. 15, article 1400 includes an upper 1401 and a sole 1451.
As seen by comparing FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 to FIG. 1 and/or FIG. 13,
some embodiments of article of footwear 1400 may incorporate some
features similar to features in article 100 and/or article 1300.
However, in some embodiments, article 1400 may include additional
or different features that are not present in article 100 and/or
article 1300. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 14 and FIG. 15,
upper 1401 has two distinct material portions. Upper 1401 has a
smooth, low-friction base material portion 1420 at a portion of
upper 1401 and a tacky material portion 1430 at the periphery of
the upper.
[0066] Thus, in the embodiment of FIG. 14 and FIG. 15, upper 1401
has one low-friction base material portion 1420 and one tacky
material portion 1430, whereas the embodiment of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2
has two low-friction material portions 1230 and 110 and one tacky
material portion 111, and the embodiment of FIG. 13 has two
low-friction material portions 1310 and 1320 and no tacky material
portion.
[0067] FIG. 14 and FIG. 15 also show ankle strap 1423 wrapped
around the back of ankle opening 1409. The ends of ankle strap 1423
emerge from slots 1424 on the lateral side and medial side of ankle
opening 1409 as loops 1425. Lace 1426 may be laced through loops
1427 in the forefoot of upper 1401 and through loops 1425 to
tighten upper 1401 over a wearer's foot.
[0068] The embodiments shown schematically in FIGS. 1-15 are
particularly advantageous when used as a wrestling shoe. FIG. 16 is
a schematic view of a wrestler 1600 wearing a first article 1602
and a second article 1604, where both articles include various
provisions of, for example, article 100 described previously. These
provisions, including a slippery upper surface for each article,
biased eyestays and sole pads with ridges, may cooperate to improve
the performance of wrestler 1600 in a wrestling match.
[0069] In the embodiments described above, some portions of an
upper (such as third portion 230 of upper 101 seen in FIG. 1) may
be made of leather, synthetic leather, woven textiles, knitted
textiles or nonwoven textiles. These materials may have a
cushioning sublayer formed, for example, from a lightweight polymer
foam material to provide added comfort. In some embodiments,
portions of the upper and any sublayers may be made of a
moisture-wicking material that wicks away perspiration from the
wearer's foot.
[0070] In the embodiments described above, some portions of an
upper may be overlays over a base fabric of the upper, or may be
separate materials sewn to, welded to, fused to, or adhesively
attached to the breathable and flexible fabric of the upper. The
overlays used in the embodiments described above may be made of
thermoplastic elastomers such as thermoplastic polyurethanes. For
example, first portion 110 and/or second portion 111 of upper 101
in FIG. 1 may be made of thermoplastic elastomers, such as TPU.
[0071] In certain embodiments, an article of footwear has a textile
strobel that allows moisture to escape from the bottom of the
article of footwear during use, and further allows the interior of
the footwear to dry out after use. For example, the strobel may be
made of a spacer mesh material. Some embodiments may include soles
made of lightweight and flexible materials. In at least some
embodiments, the sole may be made of an IU material. The pads at
the heel, the big toe region, and the balls of the foot regions may
be made of durable elastomers such as thermoplastics, ethylene
vinyl acetates, polyurethanes (e.g., polyurethane foam), polyamides
or polyolefins.
[0072] While various embodiments have been described, the
description is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting and
it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many
more embodiments and implementations are possible that are within
the scope of the embodiments. Accordingly, the embodiments are not
to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their
equivalents. Also, various modifications and changes may be made
within the scope of the attached claims.
* * * * *